


Like a Child in a Toy Shop

by yanderekirklandchan



Category: Peter Rabbit (2018)
Genre: ABDL, Because Literally He Works In A Toy Store Has Parent Issues, Carer/Mummy Bea, F/M, Little Boy Tommy, Non-Sexual Ageplay, OCD, thumb sucking, will add more tags as this goes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-02
Updated: 2018-07-20
Packaged: 2019-04-17 14:22:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 7,784
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14190912
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yanderekirklandchan/pseuds/yanderekirklandchan
Summary: Thomas McGregor many character quirks, possibly from being alone for so long and not having parents or perhaps he'd always been strange. He deems them as repulsive but Bea finds them endearing and loves him all the more because of them. Sometimes, Bea knows Thomas better than he knows himself.This is a story about a boy who's always been alone and unloved and has had to take care of everything himself and a girl with a heart too big for the world who's greatest pleasure is looking after others.





	1. Prologue/Intro-Morning Embarrassment

**Author's Note:**

> Okay. Maybe a weird idea? Maybe this makes sense? I watched the movie today, came home, went to bed and this idea just clicked. It now makes so much sense to me I just had to write it! Also, I can't remember the details of what happened with his parents and I couldn't find it on the internet, if you know could you please tell me in the comments!
> 
> Also if you can remember some words he wrote in scrabble because I forgot that too. And can you please tell me if this is actually an idea you'd like me to continue, I wrote a short chapter just to see if people were interested. I know ageplay is something that not everyone is comfortable with so I wasn't sure. I will say, though, to give it a chance. I found out about it through someone's fanfic. Anyway, enjoy!

Thomas was generally a private man. Whether it was by nature or by rejection was up for debate, he'd never really been around people long enough to know whether he liked it or not. Whatever the reason, he was a solitary person therefore he rarely had other people in his house and certainly didn't sleep with them.

Now, 'sleep with' meaning Bea had come around his house for dinner, things had gotten late and they'd both passed out on the couch next to each other, nothing more graphic. Although, it probably would be one day. The thought made Thomas shiver with both excitement and trepidation, there was another thing that he didn't have enough(any) experience with to judge how to feel about it. As innocent as the situation at hand was, it did leave the opportunity for Thomas to be totally embarrassed.

"You suck your thumb?" Bea exclaimed with a look torn between surprise, fond amusement and that lovely look she had when she looked at bunnies or other things she deemed cute, it wasn't as lovely when it was directed at him.  
Thomas' snapped upward, removing the offending digit from his mouth immediately but the damage was already done.

"N-no, I... of course not! It... This... is just a... one of. It is human instinct to latch onto things subconsciously and therefore in my sleep my thumb must have been right there and hey presto here we are." He managed to stutter out, face heating with every second. The understanding, affectionate, fond (motherly) look Bea was giving him was not helping.

"Thomas, it's okay to suck your thumb. Really, the only issue is hygiene and that's most certainly not a problem for you, I've seen you clean. It can be habit or comfort or just comfortable or whatever really, it's nothing to be ashamed of." She said in a soothing voice. It appeared like she meant her words too, there didn't seem to be even the slightest hint of judgement, repulsion, condescension or anything else you'd expect.

"Of course, of course. Although I do not suck my thumb. Obviously. Pesky subconscious actions..." he insisted, trailing off at the end as he was overcome by embarrassment and self-shame and just... just... why was she being so nice? It felt like a predator silently coiled for attack but Thomas knew that Bea was honest and kind. It just didn't feel right. To not be insulted, made fun of or laughed at, he was used to that. He could take that. He expected that, not... this; understanding acceptance.

He didn't know why he sucked his thumb. He just did. It just made sense to him and even when he tried not to he ended up doing it, whether it was just resuming the action on automatic or being unable to sleep without it. He didn't like admitting to it because it made him feel even more infantile than he already did but he supposed he did derive comfort from it. Why? He didn't know. But he wished it'd stop. He had many quirks that he had to put an end to now he had an active social life.

Bea chuckled in response to his words "Oh, of course not. Those pesky subconscious actions." She smiled before getting up from the sofa and stretching "I'll go make breakfast." She climbed past Thomas, kissing him on the forehead as she went, with a fond "My boy."


	2. Spring Nest

Thomas liked schedules. He liked plans for everything, there was nothing good about chaos so why would anyone surrender to it when it could be avoided? Therefore, naturally he had a plan for how he went about every day and it started with waking up at 7:00 on the dot. He didn’t like 6am so it was either before or after.

Back when he’d lived in London and had been far more busy he had chosen to wake at 5:45 to have ample time to get ready for the day but now that he had much more free time and control over his life therefore he could afford waking up at 7. Therefore, it came as a surprise to him when he found himself wrenched out of his sleep by something other than his alarm at 6:52.

“Good morning, Thomas!” Called a feminine voice at his window accompanying a wooden thudding against presumably his window frame. Thomas blinked several times, as if trying to determine whether this situation was real and if it was whether it would just go away for another 8 minutes if he kept his eyes closed.

“It’s Bea.” The voice said, as if as an afterthought. Bea, of course, who else would knock on his window at this hour? Who else would knock on his window at all, for that matter? In his sleep addled mind he hadn’t drawn the connection. He sighed, there was only one person who would ever knock on his window and that also just happened to be the only person he’d ever open the window for. Thomas dragged himself out of bed and did just that.

He was greeted by the sight of the most beautiful face he’d ever had the honour of seeing which was made even more vibrant by the smile that almost always resided there. Thomas couldn’t help but smile back, Bea’s smile was so contagious. “Good morning, Thomas.” She repeated. Now Thomas could see that she was standing at the top of his ladder to reach his window, another thing he hadn’t thought about while waking up.

“Hello, Bea.” He responded, any annoyance or irritation he’d had at being woken gone at the sight of her. The spring sky was a strange shade of blue that occurred when the sunrise had finished but the sky was still not ready to be its usual self quite yet. “Not that I don’t enjoy your company just for the sake of it, because I do, but what urged you to come here?”

Bea’s smile returned with double the strength “I’m sorry for waking you but I didn’t know if we could afford to wait any longer. The robin eggs are hatching! If we go now we can catch it happening. Come along, no need to get dressed, just put on some shoes and a coat. I’ll meet you downstairs.” Before Thomas had any time to respond, Bea was already half way down the ladder. He shook his head with a small chuckle before doing as he’d been told, rushing down the stairs.

After pulling on socks and shoes and slipping on a coat, he was ready to join Bea. Something within Thomas objected heavily at the idea of leaving the house not properly dressed and his pyjama too felt strange, too soft and thin between his skin and coat. He closed his eyes. If Bea thought it was okay then it was. Besides, who was here to see it? It’s not like walking around London with pyjamas, there was no one else within sight. With that last minute self-assurance, Thomas grabbed his keys and left the house.

“There you are! I was starting to wonder if you’d backed out on me.” Bea teased.  
“Me? Never.” Thomas smiled. He took in Bea’s full appearance for the first time that day. She clearly hadn’t just rolled out of bed, most likely she’d been bird watching the robins knowing specifically that the eggs would hatch some time soon and had ran over when she’d seen it starting. She was wearing a simple yet beautiful white dress with a small flowery coat on top. He began to feel insecure about his state of attire until realising that Bea really didn’t have a care in the world that he was wearing pyjamas. He envied her relaxed mentality.

The spring air had a chilly bite to it, the sunlight not intense enough yet to heat it. However, the chill was refreshing and woke Thomas up completely, chasing away any remainders of sleep. “I’m a sucker for all cute things,” Bea said, as they walked, Thomas gave her a look that said ‘really, I hadn’t noticed’ which earned him a shove before she continued “But Babies are absolutely my weakness.” She admitted, before cooing over the prospect of the robin chicks. Soon enough they reached a tree and stopped.

Bea pointed upwards “Look, that there is the nest.”  
Thomas followed her gaze, quickly locating it too “Ah, yes. I see it. It’s so small.” He observed, the eggs must be tiny. When he looked back down, he noticed Bea wasn’t there, instead she was climbing the tree next to the one with the nest.

Thomas stared at her, surprised “What are you doing?”  
“Climbing the tree, of course!” She replied “We can’t see a thing from the ground and if we try to climb the tree itself, the poor birds will scare.”  
Thomas hesitated, staring at the trunk. It was not an appealing concept, gripping the unsanitized, exposed trunk where goodness knows what is living in the crevices of. And what if they fell? What if the branches broke? Trees weren’t made for climbing!

Bea giggled “Have you never climbed a tree before? It’s fun! Trust me. Just do what I did, you’ll be fine.” She encouraged. Thomas took a deep breath before hoisting himself up, cringing at the feeling under his hands. He continued, following exactly the route he’d seen Bea take.

Soon he was almost there. Bea extended her arms, wrapping them around him to sturdy him for the last few steps. Then he was there. He’d done it. Thomas looked down, it looked rather farther down from up here, but he had a strange, exhilarated refreshing feeling at being so high up and being amongst the baby green leaf buds. He was sturdy now but Bea’s arms didn’t leave him, instead wrapping tighter around him, her body leaning into his.

“There,” she said, kissing his cheek “You did it! I knew you could.” She smiled. A warm feeling formed within Thomas at her praise and encouragement. It felt nice, even if it was pathetic of him to think so. “Did you bring your binoculars?” She asked after a moment. Thomas felt a sinking feeling of failure inside him, he was idiotic for not thinking of that! He should have. Bea must have read his expression because she kissed him again “Hey, don’t worry, I didn’t expect you to have. Let’s share mine.” He nodded, the feeling of failure still there but fading.

Bea held out her binoculars but Thomas shook his head “You first. They’re yours, after all, and this was your wonderful idea.”  
Bea smiled “My gentleman.” She cooed, nuzzling against him before looking through the binoculars. Thomas watched fondly as her face made the most beautiful and adorable expressions “Oh, Thomas! They’re so cute and small! Aw, the little thing is poking it’s head out, the sweetheart. Isn’t it wondrous to think that these little creatures are entering this world for the first time right now? Here, you look.”

Thomas accepted the device and took it to his eyes, Bea positioning him on where to look. There it was, you couldn’t tell how small the nest really was at this magnification. Inside, Thomas could see four small, slightly odd shaped blue eggs. One of them was broken in two, a small, pink creature that appeared to be mostly beak was poking its head out, making small motions with its body. Behind it, Thomas saw the already cracked shell of a second egg give way to a little beak, soon another head was poking out. Bea was right, it was wondrous.

Next to the small babies, two robins that looked enormous in comparison were perched on the side of the nest, both carefully observing the situation, every now or then tapping an egg or nudging a chick. One pressed something into the waiting mouth of a chick. Every action they made was obviously full of care and compassion for the small beings tucked away there, he wasn’t even the same species and he could see it.

That made something pang deep inside him, it ignited a pain and longing that had been there for as long as he could remember. It was petty to be jealous of baby robin chicks but he couldn’t help but wish that, it was what he’d always wanted but he couldn’t even comprehend it, being so cared for by another being, being so loved when you hadn’t even done and didn’t need to do anything to earn it.

With his eyes glued to the baby birds, Thomas didn’t see the thoughtful look that Bea gave him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Et voila! A new chapter :) I told ya I was working on one. Quite honestly I'm absolutely mind-blown over how many people like this and how nice you've all been! Thank you so much to anyone who's commented, left kudos and read my story at all, it really means a lot to me. I like this story idea and I'm so glad there are people who want to read it! You can probably expect a new chapter approximately every Friday. Tell me what you think of this chapter in the comments, and also please tell me if you know what the story is with Thomas' parents, I can't remember! Anyway, have a nice time, until next week, goodbye!


	3. Bea's Always Right

Thomas loved his job. He enjoyed the control that came with running a business, of course. But he loved giving people exactly what they wanted, eliciting a moment of pure joy in this temperamental universe. A child receiving a toy they may very well go on to cherish for the rest of their life, a loved one finding that one item they know will make their child’s car light up with happiness; it was the purest, best kind of joy there was. It was all made far better not having the pressure and coldness of the suits-and-ties business world; toys and marketing and money were never meant to combine.

He smiled, something he’d recently taken up doing, at the family he’d just served, waving as the little boy skipped happily away. He didn’t seem to have any concept of the intricacies of the action figure he’d chosen but he seemed to appreciate and love it all the same.

A tinkling of the bell had Thomas looking up to see who’d entered and he was surprised, but not unpleasantly so, to see Bea. She waved cheerfully as she walked in, heading straight for him.  
“Hi!” She exclaimed, pulling him into a hug “I don’t mean to distract you from your work. I was in the area and I thought it’d be nice to have lunch with you.” She said, pulled back from the hug so she could face him as he talked but her arms were still around his neck.

Thomas blushed. He’d never had anyone meet up with him for anything before. It felt… nice. To be thought of and for someone to actually decide that he was someone who’s company was worthwhile enough that it would be an improvement to their day if they met him. Thomas smiled, hesitantly but earnestly “Thank you, it is most certainly lovely to see you, Bea.”

Bea smiled back and kissed his cheek “So when’s your lunch break?” She asked peppily. Thomas blanched “Erm…”  
That received an incredulous look “You don’t know when your lunch break is?” Bea asked, amused. Thomas shook his head. She sighed, kissing his cheek “Really, Thomas, you need someone to look after you.” He didn’t know why that made his chest feel weird. He didn’t comment on it.

Bea continued “Well, who decides it, then?”  
“I do.” He replied simply.  
Bea chuckled and kissed his nose “What am I going to do with you? Alright, let’s go.” She said, dragging him out of the store.  
*******  
Thomas soon found himself in a beautiful garden. It wasn’t structured and designed like the ones he was used to in London but instead it channeled the natural beauty of nature itself for all these plants had decided to make this place their home of their own accord. Bea commented on how she adored wildflowers, Thomas couldn’t help but agree with her sentiment.

“There’s a bench at the top of this hill, it’d be a nice place to sit to eat. I brought us packed lunches.”  
Thomas gave her a look “That’s hardly a hill.” He said, scrutinising the area before them.  
Bea raised an eyebrow “Oh really? Alright, then you’ll have no problem racing me to the top of it.”  
“It’s on.” He said, determined.

And that’s how he found himself collapsed on the bench, panting, at the top of the hill making a mental note never to challenge the woman looking smugly down at him. Bea knows best. He was rather in pain now, lungs and legs burning, but despite it all he had a grin on his face he couldn’t wipe away. It’d been so much fun, running up the hill.

They’d laughed the whole way, which was maybe why they were so out of breath, especially when Thomas decided going backwards was easier and almost took the lead before whacking straight into a tree.

Their laughter died down, leaving smiles on their faces. Thomas’ cheeks hurt. Bea gave him a studying look and ‘hm’ed. “What?” Thomas asked.  
“I suppose you’ve earned your lunch now, running up the hill. Here you are.” She said, handing him a blue-white checked cloth bundle tied at the top with brown string. “Thank you.” He said, as he took it.

Opening the package he realised how hungry he was. It contained bread that was still warm, butter, plenty of raw vegetables and fruit and a small pot of cottage cheese and honey. Bea proudly declared that everything was fresh, although only the bread and vegetables were fresh from her house. He dug into it ravenously, why was it that such simple ingredients tasted like heaven when they were so fresh and free?  
*******  
“Thomas?”  
“Yes?”  
The pair where back at the toy store. The other worker on shift, who’d initially looked rather pleased at being the only person in charge of the store for a little while, looked very relieved to see Thomas back. He’d instantly found himself with a pile of work to do. Bea insisted to help for nothing. His company was reward enough, she said.

Thomas was now restocking a shelf of rather popular toys when Bea spoke “What would you say is the best type of toy?”  
Thomas blinked before considering “Well, who’s the recipient?”  
Bea shook her head “No, what would YOU say is the best type of toy. Not necessarily the ultimate toy ever, just your opinion.”  
Thomas was surprised but thought about it.

“Well… a soft toy, definitely. With soft fur not the rough kind of scratchy kind or even even glossy. I think it should look loved even before it’s been bought, it’s not trying to impress anyone or have the best technology it’s a thing to be loved and to make a child feel safe. I’d personally say the ones that are slightly under stuffed and the limbs are sewn minimalistically on, it makes it floppier and seem ready to be scooped into a kids arms. Eyes shouldn’t be too realistic or it scares kids, button eyes are hit and miss. Animals are nicer. I think if there’s colour it should be something soft.”

He became aware of himself and blushed “Wow… I’ve overthought that, haven’t I?”  
Bea shook her head “No, not at all. Honestly, that’s the perfect toy. Wow, it sounds adorable.” She beamed. Thomas blushed brighter before promptly getting back onto his work before he became a tomato.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tada! A new chapter! I said I'd publish every Friday :3 so here yous are. Do you like it? Please tell me in the comments, knowing what you think is important to me! Have a lovely week :3 Oh, also the hill thing is based on a place I've been but I don't know the name of it. Maybe I'll add it sometime if I find out.


	4. Nightmares

Bea threw herself enthusiastically into bed, letting the billowing sheets engulf her. She couldn’t get her mind off of Thomas, which appeared to be becoming a regular occurrence really and it didn’t seem to be changing. But this time it was more specifically about an idea she’d formed.

It was risky, it was silly, really, for her to even think of it. She shouldn’t humour it and definitely couldn’t possibly bring it up, Thomas was a delicate man and he’d most certainly freak out if she ever said anything. Their relationship was perfect and it meant so much to both of them, she wouldn’t risk that for the world.

Nevertheless, she couldn’t get the idea out of her head. She didn’t know when the first time she’d heard of ageplay was, some time during adolescence. While the other children had laughed and sniggered or perhaps even been disgusted or weirded out she’d been drawn to it whenever it’d been brought up. The other kids had probably put her lack of contribution down to her kindly disposition rather than any fascination. Maybe even she’d initially chalked it down to that.

But by now there was no denying it, she liked the idea. Even then, ageplay and abdl and carer/little and everything else: it’d always been for someone else not her. No matter how much she liked the idea and she wanted to do it it’d never occurred to her she could be someone to do it, there were always reasons she would list off the top of her head when she became a little too longing for a baby boy or girl of her own to care for.

Thomas had changed that. Now, it wasn’t like she’d looked at him and thought ‘wow I could totally imagine being his mummy’. No, what she’d thought was more along the lines of ‘he’s cute’, ‘I wonder if he’s nice’, ‘I should like to be friends’. And even after knowing Thomas and even being his girlfriend for a little while those thoughts hadn’t just come to her.

It was more… gradual. A comment about his childhood here, an heart wrenching lost look there, a little adorable thing he’d do once in a while and eventually the idea had bloomed and she’s didn’t know how to be rid of it. She’d managed to subdue the thoughts after a while but catching him sucking his thumb the other night and looking so bloody adorable doing it had brought them back on full throttle.

Bea sighed into her duvet, turning onto her side and hugging it in front of her. She really shouldn’t dwell on these thoughts and fantasies, it’d only make her want it more and less likely to forget it. Thomas wouldn’t want anything to do with her and her ageplay. He may even think she was a freak and shut her out. Really, Bea knew he’d never do that really but the thought still made her want to cry a little.

It wasn’t that he wouldn’t be a perfect little boy, he really would; she could tell he was a little, it was getting him to acknowledge it and actually willingly participate in ageplay and enjoy it, because there was no point at all if he didn’t enjoy it. And that was the pivotal point. That was were it all collapsed. He wouldn’t accept it and she should just let it go. She should let it go.

Still, that didn’t stop Bea from doing little things like comforting him and holding him softly or occasionally talking to him in a childish way if she was feeling brave. The way Thomas appeared to really like it when she did such things only acted to consolidate her theory that he was a little. He was a little and he deserved a mummy who loved and cared for him. She couldn’t stand the lost little baby look he’d get sometimes. Bea sighed again.  
*******  
Thomas woke up with a cry. His chest was heaving and his breath was shallow and rapid. He couldn’t even remember what the nightmare was about, it wasn’t unformed and consistent of feelings rather than anything that made sense, as dreams had the habit of being. Yet it still left him completely shaken, clutching onto his duvet for dear life.

Thomas whimpered softly, pulling the blanket over his face, making sure his toes were tucked inside the blanket and not hanging over the side of the bed. His mind was in a scared state and everything seemed big and terrifying, as illogical and nonsensical as it was.

To his utter embarrassment, Thomas found that his cheeks were wet with tears. He wasn’t a baby! He was a grown man! What business had he to be waking up from nightmares crying? A thought had him pale but after checking he was relieved to know that he had not in fact wet the bed. That he most certainly could not live down.

He wanted to get up and get a drink or maybe watch the tv for a while before he calmed down enough to sleep but… looking out into darkness of the corridor he hesitated. It looked… scary. His mouth may be dry to the point that swallowing felt like rubbing sandpaper down his trachea but he daren’t get any water. He daren’t leave his bed.

He hated himself for being so immature and childish and such a degenerate example of a human and yet he couldn’t help himself from pulling the duvet up over his head and crying into the soft sheets until unconsciousness once again took him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aw poor Tommy :( Well, here's a new chapter! Please tell me if you like it in the comments! I really like interacting with you and seeing what you think about this work! Thanks so much for reading, until next week :)


	5. Steam Fair

A knock on the door had Thomas tiredly trudging downstairs. He was in a horrid mood, from having been woken by a nightmare and the fact that he'd even have a nightmare at all, and had half the mind to just ignore whatever bloody postman or lost hiker or whatever other person dared disturb him at barely seven in the morning on a weekend. But he still answered the door all the same. The only thing worse than having a nightmare was letting said nightmare get in the way of his daily activities.

"Hello?" He greeted, with all the civility he could muster while still tired, and was instantly glad he'd opened the door.  
"Hello, Thomas." Bea chimed, smile brighter than the sun and far more pleasant on his tired eyes.  
"Bea! Hello, I wasn't expecting you. Come in!" He fumbled, stepping to the side and hoping he hadn't come across as rude or grumpy at first.

Bea walked in and Thomas closed the door behind her, joining her where she was now sitting on the sofa.  
"Well, I'd certainly be surprised if you had known I'd be coming, I myself didn't until earlier today." Thomas silently mused to himself that surely a day shouldn't be any earlier than seven and when in earth had she gotten up but he kept those thoughts to himself.

"Indeed? What brings you here, you're always more than welcome of course."  
Bea smiled and kissed him chastely "Thank you, Thomas. Well, I was going on a morning cycle to admire the rather vibrant sunrise we had this mourning and on the way back I saw a sign. Apparently the steam fair is in town! It's only here for two days and fairs with rides so very rarely come to this area I thought that we simply must go! What do you think?"

"I think it's a splendid idea." he replied with a smile "I can't remember the last time I've been to a fair in all honesty. Of course, there was always something happening in London but I rarely had any time for it. And, well, it's rather... sad for one single man to go there alone."

Bea made a cooing noise and hugged Thomas' arm, resting her head on his shoulder "Well, luckily we have each other now. It'll be plenty of fun, I assure you!"  
Thomas smiled, enjoying Bea's touch and her general company. He was sure he'd never done something good enough in his life to deserve someone like Bea, quite the opposite in fact. But he wasn't complaining.  
*******  
"Look, there it is! I can see it on the horizon." Bea exclaimed, pointing into the distance. Thomas looked in her line of sight and beheld the spectacle too. Indeed, you could see the steam fair at the far side of the field they were in. He and Bea had set of about fifteen minutes ago for the fair, both wrapped up in thin coats as you couldn't be too sure what turn the weather decided to take, especially in spring.

Bea said they should plan to spend the whole day there as you really tended to lose track of time when you were having such fun and I was best to leave time in excess. She said they'd best have lunch there but go home for dinner as the fair would probably be closing for the day around that time and it would probably be rather chilly too.

Thomas had never been someone who followed other people's plans or was comfortable with not being 100% in control but with Bea following her guide was natural. She was always right, she always knew best. With Bea he knew he was in safe hands.

"Race you down the hill!" Bea cried, starting on a gallop down before Thomas could say a word of protest. He had nothing to do but follow her example, crying out more in fear than pleasure as the uneven ground slipped unsteadily beneath his feet. But when he ran to a skidding stop, Bea pacing her arm in his as they used each other to steady themselves, he found to his astonishment that he'd had fun.

"That... that was..." he painted, adrenaline rushing through his body.  
"Fun?"  
"Dangerous!" He exclaimed, straightening his coat and wiping his shoes against the grass to rid them of the mud that had become attached to them from his footfalls being too heavy.

Bea giggled "It was only a hill, Thomas, and you did have fun."  
"Oh really?"  
"Mhm," she nodded "I can see it in your eyes, the way they light up. It's really rather stunning, you should try it more often."  
Thomas didn't quite know what to say to that so just made a huffing sound, whether it would be interpreted as exasperation or embarrassment he didn't know.

"Is facing but down a hill at least better than racing up one?"  
"Hm... well one is downright painful but the other is a genuine threat to my life so I'm not sure." Thomas considered causing Bea to chuckle warm heartedly.  
"My brave boy. Come along, we'll be there in no time if we run!" She said, grabbing his arm and half dragging him across the field until he managed to fall into a steady pace with her as they ran to the steam fair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tada! A new chapter :3 I'm sorry for not publishing last week! Here's a new chapter for you. Tell me in the comments if you like it and if you missed me :) Thank you for reading as always, it means so much to me. Until next week, byeee!


	6. Ferris Wheel

Thomas shifted uncomfortably, staring at the ride in front of him. When Bea had gotten the day pass bands for the fair, it hadn't registered in his mind that that meant actually going on the rides. Bea, noticing his apprehensive look, chuckled softly "It's only a Ferris wheel, Thomas. Surely you've been one one before!"  
Thomas shook his head wordlessly, staring at the mechanical workings of the intimidating thing with a hint of anxiety.

That dissapeared, though, when Bea took his hand gently. "It'll be okay, pet. You'll love it when you try it, I assure you. Just... have some faith in me, okay?" She said, leading him into the waiting area by the hand.  
"That's entirely not a fair way of looking at it." Thomas grumbled to himself but followed her anyway. After all, maybe she was right. Maybe he would like it.

Soon enough, the pair were at the front of the queue; there weren't many others there as the area was hardly a highly populated one. Thomas bit his lip "This is silly, this is a kids ride! The people will look at us funny."  
Bea smiled kindly "They won't. People of all ages enjoy fairs, Thomas. Don't over think it, just open your mind to the fun!" She instructed. He repeated those instructions in his head as he boarded the small car.

Thomas gripped the bars with a startled yelp as the car wobbled under his feet. Bea giggled and kissed his cheek "Don't worry, it's supposed to do that. Sit down and it'll be more stable. But remember that it's okay if the cart is rocking, it doesn't mean that anything's going wrong." Thomas could only nod in response, his nerves making him quiet. It was silly of him to feel so anxious over something so simple but he couldn't help it. He did not understand how anyone could enjoy being suspended in the air in a little metal rocking box! Bea seemed to disagree with that sentiment, however, as she let out a cry of glee when the wheel started to spin.

"We're going up!"  
"Yes, Thomas, that tends to be how it works." Bea said fondly, linking their arms as she watched the scenery serenely.  
Thomas blushed "I-I know. It's just... it's going up!" He repeated again, feeling stupid and knowing he sounded it. He couldn't tell if it was excitement, apprehension or terror but whatever he was feeling was making him talk strangely, nervously.

Thomas looked at the sky, seeing birds in the trees. That was pleasant at least. Although he could behold the same sight from his window with binoculars. Bea must have seen where he was looking as she smiled and asked "Have you ever wished you could fly with the birds when you were watching them be so free, light and happy?"

Thomas frowned at the seemingly random question "Yes. I suppose I have. It's a silly notion, of course. Especially since I've tried flying but all my experiences with air travel leave me nauseous."  
Bea laughed at that "Yes, planes aren't for everyone, I find them far too containing. But no, I mean free like they are so that you could stretch your arms out and feel the fresh air beneath you, unrestrained."

Thomas pursed his lips "Yes. That does seem nice... why?"  
Bea smiled "Well, that's one of the reasons people like Ferris wheels. Just, imagine you're a bird. Let yourself be peaceful, happy and free. We are above the world, in our own little one where everything seems smaller and the clouds are closer." Thomas frowned in concentration which caused Bea to chuckle again "No, don't try so hard. It's the lack of thought that'll do it."  
"I don't think the lack of thought is ever a good thing." Thomas murmured but did so anyway.

Bea was right, there was something so very freeing about this; it was so... wonderous! Thomas straightened his body slightly so the light wind hit him and flowed around him, it was actually rather pleasant after all. Right when he was deciding he may start to like this, Thomas looked down.

"Good heavens!" He exclaimed in shock and fear "H-how did we...? Wh-when...? Why are we so high?" He stammered out in alarm, staring at the open space under his feet, a fall through which would lead to death or at least maiming injury.  
"Thomas... Tommy, look at me. We're just fine. This thing is completely safe, absolutely safe. I'd swear my life on it. You needn't worry, okay?" She said, kissing his cheek affectionately.

Taking a deep breath, Thomas opened his mind to the situation, as he'd been told to, and let go of his worries.  
*******  
"That was amazing!" Thomas exclaimed, grinning like an idiot; he was sure he looked ridiculous. Bea didn't seem to mind, though, on the contrary; she seemed overjoyed. "Excellent! I'm so very glad you enjoyed it." She smiled, slinging her arm around his waist.  
"Let's go on it again!" He insisted enthusiastically. Bea smiled, finding the childish delight in his eyes refreshing and endearing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my goodness, sorry for the wait! I'm finally back! Thank you everyone for being so kind and encouraging, it really motivated me to continue this :) I'd love to hear if you think my new chapter is still of good quality or not, I'm a bit out of touch with writing! Until next time, goodbye!


	7. What Goes Up (Must Come Down)

Bea laughed heartily as she and Thomas walked away from the hook-a-duck, where they’d just won a pea shooter and a bracelet. They’d been having such a wonderful day and now it faded to evening, the time of year not yet causing the sun to stay in the sky until late night. She hadn’t thought they’d be able to spend an entire day here but they had; it’d flown leaving both of us pair sorrowful at its departure. But they really couldn’t stay all night so, after a bag of fresh sugar doughnuts, they decided to go on the Ferris wheel one last time before going home.

Bea chuckled as they walked into the shadow of the towering structure, Thomas had taken a surprising shining to it despite his initial uncertainty. In fact, it was him who’d insisted that they road on it one last time before leaving. Her smile wavered slightly, there was something very sad about the way Thomas transformed from his usual restrained self into a happy, free person with eyes wide with the wonder of the world. Not because she didn’t want him to be like that, goodness no, but because it made her wonder why he was so restrained.

It always made her sad to think about what his childhood might have been like; the sadness and deep, open wounds were evident but she never asked, too afraid to upset him. Bea’s childhood was some of the most wonderful days of her entire life; she’d never trade them for the world. It made her sad thinking about how Thomas might’ve missed that all; the thought ignited something strong inside her.

The sound of the wheel moving snapped Bea out of her brooding thoughts. She looked around, slightly disorientated for a moment, before sighing softly and resting her head on Thomas’ shoulder, wrapping her arms around his arm “What am I to do with you, poppet?” She murmured.  
“What was that?” Thomas asked offhandedly.  
“Nothing.” She said with a smile and pressed a soft kiss against his cheek.

The wheel rose and goodness did it look beautiful. They’d been on it many times that day but none when the sky was lit afire by a radiant sunset. Bea looked to her side and saw the spectacle reflected in Thomas’ wide eyes, his mouth dropped slightly open in awe. She smiled fondly, loving whenever she could get the rigid city-bred man to truly admire and be taken aback by something.

The Ferris wheel turned slowly, seeming even more so in comparison to the faster rides. It was a nice, soothing, sleepy pace that suited their happily tired mood. With the soft warmth of Thomas’ body pressed against hers, she could feel her lids getting heavier. Judging from the slightly glazed over look in Thomas’ eyes, he too was feeling tired. Bea smiled sleepily, she didn’t very much want to leave Thomas’ side tonight, perhaps he would be happy to let her stay over. After all, the evening was getting chilly and it’d be much warmer for them to fall asleep cuddled up with each other.

Bea closed her eyes peacefully before opening them to face up towards the sky, smiling when breathtaking little stars glimmered amidst the velvety darkness. “Thomas.” She breathed, meaninglessly yet full of meaning. She felt Thomas press closer and knew he understood. “Mummy.” He murmured tiredly.

Bea’s eyes widened, the breath escaping her in a sharp puff. It had been so soft that she might have imagined it and yet it filled her with emotion so strongly; mostly shock but a undeniable yet unexplainable positive feeling. Excitement? Happiness? Even through her shock she tried not to stiffen too much or do anything that’d startle Thomas but judging from the feeling of his muscles tensing and the sound of his ragged breaths, he already knew.

Bea closed her eyes and wished she knew what to do, she was supposed to know what to do but she didn’t. The best she really could do was pretend she hadn’t heard, at least for now. Knowing Thomas, he was already freaking out and would be absolutely mortified if he knew for sure she’d heard. She felt her stomach sinking; whether it was from the wheel descending or from the situation going so very down hill she didn’t know.  
*******  
Thomas kicked the door, feeling traitorous, frustrated tears brim in his eyes. The prickled annoyingly and even burned and he tried so hard to keep the stupid little things in his tear ducts where they belonged but they just wouldn’t stay, spilling everywhere. Why? Why’d he have to be such a dysfunctional freak of a human being? Crying softly now, Thomas slipped down the wall exhaustedly.

That’d been going so well, he’d been having a great time and he was certain Bea had been too. And then he’d just had to go on and ruin it by being utterly stupidly stupid. He pouted softly, sulking and banging his head lightly back against the door. He supposed he should have known something bad would happen since it’d obviously been too good to be true. Things always went wrong in his life. Every time.

He tried to tell himself she hadn’t heard. But the walk back home wouldn’t have been so awkward if she hadn’t heard. But if she had heard then she would have said something, wouldn’t she? Shouted at him, called him a freak or at least acted disgusted or weirded out? Perhaps not, Bea was too nice. But then, everyone had there limits. No one would blame her if she abandoned him now; she’d forgiven him enough times and put up with enough of his weirdness, already far more than anyone else would have.

Thomas somehow managed to drag his distraught body to his bed, flopping down and giving in to sleep. So he could escape the day and the… problem. He didn’t want to ever wake up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow I'm mean :( But also, plot progress! That has to be good, right? I mean, I don't really have a planned plot for this I just intend to like keep updating with random fluff and see where it goes. Did you like this chapter? Tell me what you think, I always always love hearing from you!


	8. Better Than It Seems

Bea sighed, holding the package in her hands delicately. She’d ordered it before the fiasco at the fair. She screwed her eyes shut and let out a frustrated huff of air, it had been going so well! The day had been so bloody amazing and now Thomas had probably ran straight back into his shell.

Still, at least she was now convinced that Thomas would subconsciously like being a little, even if he would probably deny, complain and protest it. It was also great to know that he also subconsciously saw her as his mummy. But, the bad news was that he’d probably be even more opposed to the idea since he was embarrassed; in fact, he was probably trying to suppress his little side even more which, from head understanding, was never good.

Bea bit her lip and unwrapped the package that’d been delivered to her today, she already knew what was in it. Discarding the cardboard and wrapping, Bea found herself holding a light purple soft toy rabbit. It was delicately fluffy and the most soft thing Bea had ever felt, with a small bell fastened around its neck with a ribbon and a few scattered patches. Bea smiled, it was perfect.

She’d ordered the toy for Thomas a few days ago, based off of what he’d said in the shop. It’s why she’d asked, really, although at the time she was still unsure about whether or not she would actually carry through with getting it for him or not. Bea bit her lip, “Thomas is going to love you. But the problem is getting him to let himself accept it.” She murmured, looking into the eyes of the toy as if it had the answers she needed.  
*******  
Thomas woke up awful. It took him a while to remember why his face felt sticky or his eyes felt heavy or his body ached but when he remembered he hurried his face in the pillows and let out a cry of despair. Now that the shock and panic of the previous night had worn off he was left with the full extent of the bitter reality.

Oh gosh, had he really called Bea ‘mummy’? Goodness, she’d think he was a freak! He’d never be able to face her again, he’d have to move back to London. No, he’d already made a fool of himself there too, maybe it was time to leave the country in fact. After all, Scotland was nice this time of year. Probably. Actually, it probably wasn’t but he didn’t think he was left in any position to be picky about the weather.

Thomas walked gloomily down to his kitchen, having no appetite but knowing he should probably eat something anyway since he’d most likely be missing lunch. He’d always been one to be able to lose himself and his problems by working. It’d been a while since he’d had to do that, though, recently he’d been able to genuinely enjoy what he did and enjoy his life in general. He should have known it was too good to last.

Thomas grabbed some crumpets and started to nibble on them dry, not thinking he had the stomach for his usual breakfast of soldier sticks. It was dry and bland but he was so lost in his own mind that he barely noticed, merely eating crumpet rhythmically and then washing it down with water. He didn’t know how he’d be able to face Bea the next time he was her. Would she avoid him? Was he supposed to go to her and apologise? Would she rather he just stayed away from her? Would he never see her again?

Thomas was startled out of his miserable musings by a rap on the door. He regarded it suspiciously but started to walk in the general direction regardless. He opened it, deciding he didn’t have any dignity left to lose so it was quite alright to be seen in his night clothes. Who he saw on the other side of the door made his body rush with both relief and horror.

“Bea!” He exclaimed, his voice a cocktail of emotions.  
Bea smiled beautifully up at him “Good morning, Thomas! I’m sorry, did I wake you?”  
“No, no,” he replied “I was just having a spot of breakfast. I’d just finished too.”  
Bea nodded “Ah, yes. Well, I’m sorry if I disturbed you. I just wanted to pop by on my way out to town to ask if you’d like to meet me for coffee on your lunch break?”

Thomas blinked, surprised that Bea was being so civil. This encounter was so very… normal. He considered the offer. Well, he didn’t really feel as if he was allowed to refuse and anyway he didn’t want to. It was only the threat of it being awkward that made him hesitant but this interaction seemed fine so why should the one at the coffee shop be?  
Thomas made up his mind, “Yes, I’d like that very much, if it’s all the same to you.” He let himself smile for the first time since last night and it was genuine, if small.  
“Of course! Well, see you then.” Bea smiled, kissing Thomas’ cheek before heading back off on her way.

Thomas stood in the doorway and watched her go, her hair and dress bobbing with every stride and blowing in the wind making her look like a floating fairy. She looked far more pretty and vibrant than any of the flowers in the field. Shaking his head, and retreating back inside Thomas decided that perhaps he didn’t have to move to Scotland after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tada! A new chapter. Thank you ever so much for patiently waiting and for reading and for being amazing people! It's such a pleasure to write this story and you make it all the better :)


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